Channel Sweep by Richard Taylor

On 14 June 1940, the first German jackboots were heard on the streets of Paris. Within days France signed an armistice and Hitler could now turn his avaricious eyes north and across the grey waters of the Channel. The island of Britain stood alone and, faced with the threat of imminent invasion, few gave her much chance of survival.

Before the all-conquering Panzers could invade, Germany needed to gain air superiority and Goering boasted that his Luftwaffe ‘would quickly sweep the RAF from the skies’ – how wrong he would be.

The Battle of Britain began on 10 July 1940 and for the next eight weeks most front-line squadrons were often flying four missions a day. Totally outnumbered by the Luftwaffe the RAF was close to breaking point by early September, with some units reduced to a handful of pilots and aircraft.

Then on 7 September, an over-confident Goering made a fatal error. Believing the RAF destroyed, he changed tactics and the Luftwaffe began bombing civilian targets in London. It was the respite that Fighter Command needed and the tide of battle was turned. Against overwhelming and seemingly impossible odds, a replenished RAF repelled the Luftwaffe and by the end of October it was over.

Richard Taylor’s stunning new painting depicts Mk1 Spitfires from 92 Squadron undertaking a defensive sweep along the Kent coastline against a dramatic backdrop of the white cliffs of Dover, at the height of the battle in September 1940. The limited edition prints in this fabulous edition have been personally autographed by members of “The Few.”

Signatures:

Limited Edition & Artist's Proofs:

Wing Commander JOHN ‘TIM’ ELKINGTON

Wing Commander TONY PICKERING AFC

Flight Lieutenant WILLIAM ROBERT ‘BOB’ HUGHES DFC AE

The Remarque Editions: Includes all of the above plus,

Flight Lieutenant TERRY CLARK DFM AE

Flight Lieutenant LEONARD DAVIES

Wing Commander BOB FOSTER DFC

Squadron Leader TONY IVESON DFC

Wing Commander TERENCE KANE

Wing Commander TOM NEIL DFC* AFC

Squadron Leader NIGEL ROSE

Squadron Leader GEOFFREY WELLUM DFC

Squadron Leader KEN WILKINSON

Corporal ALEC GRAY

The Publisher Proof: Includes all of the above plus,

Wing Commander PADDY BARTHROPP DFC AFC

Wing Commander HARBOURNE STEPHEN DSO

Wing Commander JOHN FREEBORN DFC*

Air Commodore PETER BROTHERS CBE DSO DFC*

Air Commodore Sir ARCHIE WINSKILL CBE CVO KVCO DFC*

Squadron Leader CHARLES FRIZELL

Warrant Officer LEOPOLD HEIMES